Aug
05

Carrera’s catch not enough to help Tigers

NEW YORK (AP) — Max Scherzer was in awe of Ezequiel Carrera’s catch. The reigning Cy Young Award winner didn’t think much for his pitching, though.

Scherzer lost for the first time since June as Brandon McCarthy and the New York Yankees shut down the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Monday night.

Carrera made a highlight reel catch with the bases loaded in the third inning, turning Jacoby Ellsbury’s sure extra-base hit into a sacrifice fly. Making his first start this season, Carrera made a flat out dive toward the center field wall to snare the liner that got over his head.

“We are going to see that one replayed for a while. That was spectacular. … I mean, wow!” Scherzer said. “I was happy that he caught the ball, really pumped about that but I was kind of more frustrated with my pitching at that point.”

Carrera was making his first start in center field for Detroit.

“Very happy,” Carrera said through a translator. “Being aggressive is what helped me make the play and that is what I am trying to do here with the team.”

Scherzer (13-4) gave up nine hits over seven innings in losing for the first time since June 17, a span of eight starts. The reigning AL Cy Young winner yielded Ellsbury’s sacrifice fly and Brian McCann’s RBI single in the third.

Ian Kinsler made two nice plays at second base in the third and had an RBI single in the fifth after Eugenio Suarez reached on third baseman Martin Prado’s throwing error.

“Kinsler had that catch. You know the defense was good,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. It was “part of the reason it was a low scoring game but we just could not muster up some runs.”

McCarthy (4-0) allowed five hits and an unearned run in 5 2-3 innings to win his fourth start in a row. The Yankees have won each of his five starts since being acquired from Arizona. The right-hander threw a season-high 116 pitches and struck out eight, including all three in the second when Victor Martinez led off with a double and Detroit loaded the bases.

David Robertson was perfect in the ninth for his 30th save.

On Tuesday, Price the 2012 AL Cy Young winner, will make his Tigers debut. He’ll be followed by 2011 winner Justin Verlander.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: Suarez, the shortstop, left in the fifth after spraining his knee sliding into second base on a steal. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

Yankees: Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka played light catch for the first time since he was sidelined in early July with a slight tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. He said he felt relieved and was ready for the next step.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Price (11-8) has had a lot of success at the new Yankee Stadium. He’s 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts there.

Yankees: Hiroki Kuroda (7-7) sure enjoys pitching at home for New York. He’s 22-12 with a 2.93 ERA in 44 starts in the Bronx since putting on the pinstripes in 2012.

NO STRIPES, JUST WHITE

Former White Stripes frontman Jack White held court in the Tigers clubhouse before the game. Instead of wearing Yankees pinstripes, the Detroit-born musician was in a Tigers home jersey with No. 3 on the back.

DIZZY

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was a late scratch because he became lightheaded about 45 minutes before gametime. He said he’s not sure why it happened. He was given IV fluids and hopes he’ll be ready to play Tuesday.

RARE OH-FER

Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 3, just the seventh time in 47 games against the Yankees in which he didn’t have at least one hit. He’s hitting .366 (63 for 172) against New York.